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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626602">Here, Kitty!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/madicshop/pseuds/madicshop'>madicshop</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ATEEZ (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU where Seonghwa gets turned into a cat, M/M, Seonghwa catboy, can be read as romantic or platonic, canonverse, catboy angst with a happy ending, everything else is the same irl, rated teen for curse words, that is to say</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:34:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,717</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29626602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/madicshop/pseuds/madicshop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Seonghwa didn't know that accidentally pissing off one of the neighborhood cats would get him cursed. Who would? That simply isn't something you hear about in the news. But apparently, some cats are magic, and they can in fact curse you."</p><p>AU where Seonghwa accidentally gets turned into a cat, and experiences life on a much smaller scale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi San &amp; Park Seonghwa, Choi San/Park Seonghwa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Here, Kitty!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Dedicated to everyone who supported and encouraged me on this fic. And my cat. Thank you all, I love you!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Seonghwa didn't know that accidentally pissing off one of the neighborhood cats would get him cursed. Who would? That simply isn't something you hear about in the news. But apparently, some cats are magic, and they can in fact curse you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It all started after he left the convenience store; Seonghwa had run out to grab some vitamin drinks for his members who had been working hard for the recent </span>
  <em>
    <span>Inception</span>
  </em>
  <span> comeback. ATEEZ was confident and passionate about their new song, but that meant the members were pushing themselves past their limits, and as the oldest Seonghwa took it upon himself to remind his dongsaengs to look after their bodies. Distracted by his musings, Seonghwa didn’t notice the little black cat loitering near the store entrance—he was well aware that there were many friendly street cats that lived in the area, but they usually didn’t sit themselves right on the doorsteps of the local shops—and stepped on its tail. (In Seonghwa’s defense, the cat blended in with the dark doormat on the threshold, but he doubted the animal would have cared for his excuses.) With an outraged yowl, the cat swiped angrily at Seonghwa’s exposed ankle and sprinted off to leave the idol behind with bright red ribbons scratched across the pale cream of his skin. The man felt remorse at accidentally injuring the animal to begin with and accepted the minor punishment without complaint. After limping home, Seonghwa cleaned and bandaged his stinging wound and went about his schedule as normal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was grateful that the album promotions had him showing off his abs instead of his ankle, or else the stylist noonas would have scolded him for not being careful. San and Wooyoung were the ones who were told off for whirling through the dressing rooms to roughhouse and leave a trail of bruises and ruffled clothing in their wake, not Seonghwa. The eldest was determined to keep his good standing with the styling team, and always tried to keep his mischief contained while in stage clothes. The Trouble Twins—self-titled Woosan, but Seonghwa was working on reorganizing that team into Woosanhwa, which sounded much better in his opinion—made it a personal mission to undermine their hyung’s efforts, and were pleased whenever their teasing and well-placed insults were able to rile Seonghwa up enough to get his hair disheveled and shirt collar askew. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa’s hours passed in dressing rooms, studios, and company vans, all along accompanied by an irritating tingle. With each passing moment the injury on his ankle continued to get more and more itchy, but the idol attributed the discomfort to all the sweat that normally accompanied his group’s intense dancing. The choreography for </span>
  <em>
    <span>Inception</span>
  </em>
  <span> was certainly no walk in the park, and at one program’s insistence the boys performed </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wonderland</span>
  </em>
  <span>, which always left them with gasping for air and dripping with sweat—each </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wonderland</span>
  </em>
  <span> performance demanded an excess of energy and dramatics, as if it would be their last performance of their lives. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa promised himself that he would clean the wound well and swap out the sweat-soaked bandage for a fresh one when they returned to the dorm that evening. He thought no further than that, since his injury was a punishment for hurting an innocent creature, and he resigned himself to bearing the burden and ignored his ankle the best he could. The most relief he allowed himself was a distracted rub of fingers over the bandage whenever the itch on his leg got particularly prickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t realize something was terribly wrong until he woke up in the middle of the night overheated and dripping sweat. It was late enough that he couldn't hear the usual faint conversation of other members through the walls (some of the kids enjoyed staying up until odd hours to play video games, calling it “stress relief”) and once he clambered down the ladder to his bed, he could see Hongjoong in the bottom bunk peacefully drooling into his pillow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slow and sleepy, Seonghwa quietly shuffled to the bathroom to wash the sweat off his face and idly hoped that his symptoms were not the beginnings of a fever. He couldn’t afford to be sick during the comeback, not when fans would certainly notice, eagle-eyed ATINY always picked up on every wince and hint of discomfort from the members. Calling out sick and missing a schedule was not an option either—his ab reveal was supposed to be the new fan-attractor, and he had a lot of center parts in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Inception</span>
  </em>
  <span> choreography. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He flipped on the bathroom lights, momentarily blinding himself, and sightlessly fumbled for the sink handles to turn on the water and cup his hands under the faucet head. The water was refreshing as he splashed it against his face, its coolness a relief against his burning cheeks. He scrubbed at his face to remove the stickiness that came from sweating, only to stop short when he felt a peculiar texture catch on his nails. Seonghwa rubbed the pads of his fingers again more slowly across his cheeks, the digits moving curiously in every direction the way a child's curious hands explore a new toy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wondered if something had been stuck to his face while he was sleeping. Hongjoong wasn’t usually one to pull pranks like this, but lately he had been more playful with the younger members, so Seonghwa didn’t rule out the possibility. The idol peered up to check his reflection in the mirror and froze. Seonghwa wanted to shout but his breath wouldn’t come. His lungs were frozen, holding the air inside trapped alongside his fluttering heart. The quiet trickle of water still running in the sink was the only sound to break the silence in the tiny apartment bathroom as he stared at himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His normally smooth skin was covered in fine black hairs that were soft to the touch, and his already strong eyebrows were fluffed out and thick in a way they hadn't been since before his trainee days. Long, thin white hairs had sprouted above his eyebrows and a larger cluster of them had grown beneath his nose to fan out towards his cheeks.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had </span>
  <em>
    <span>whiskers</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Like a cat.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa almost fell over in his rush to pull up the bottom of his pajama pant leg. Checking the scratch on his ankle also revealed more dense patches of hair surrounding the wound, the dark fur much thicker than what had started to grow on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This looks bad," Seonghwa mumbled to himself as trembling fingers stroked over the fluff-covered scab. Maybe if he was lucky, none of this would be real. Maybe all of this was a terrible guilt-induced fever dream, and he would wake up tomorrow covered in sweat-soaked blankets instead of cat fur. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He exited the bathroom to come face-to-face with a sleepy-eyed San. "Oh, cool cat makeup hyung. I think I’m dreaming. Goodnight." San gently gave his hyung a pat on the head, then shuffled down the hallway to his bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a horrified daze, Seonghwa crept back to his room to retrieve his phone and clamber up to his bunk. He opened Naver on a tab in his phone and painstakingly typed into the search bar, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Can a cat scratch give you whiskers? </span>
  </em>
  <span>With an embarrassed groan, he pressed the search button.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After hours of searching, the best he could find was an obscure occult website that claimed cats could impart back luck and hexes onto any human who wronged them. While Seonghwa would normally never give any credibility to anything so questionable, the presence of whiskers on his face were a convincing argument in the website’s favor. He continued fretting into the early morning hours and going through multiple sketchy sites on the Dark Web, but in the end Seonghwa decided that his best bet was to find the cat that scratched (and probably cursed) him. He sent a vague text to a manager about taking care of a personal emergency before changing out of his pajamas and leaving the dorms to wander the neighborhood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he paced up and down alleyways he unwillingly reminded himself of a restless tiger in a too-small cage, but tried to push all thoughts of cat-based comparisons out of his head. He refused to acknowledge the way the base of his spine tingled, or how the back of his pants started to feel a little tight around his tailbone. He ignored the itching of his nose and ears, which were a little too sensitive and easily irritated by each sound and smell he encountered. Seonghwa told himself that his night vision was always this good, of course it had been. There was absolutely no reason for it to suddenly improve to the point where he no longer needed the flashlight on his phone to peer into the darkest corners behind a shop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hours of searching in the pre-dawn led to nothing, and drained and anxious Seonghwa sat down and allowed himself to have a moment to wallow in his self-pity. Minutes continued to pass, but he found neither hide nor hair of a black cat—in fact, he hadn’t seen any other living being during his nighttime adventure. The empty streets were eerie, and only the company Seonghwa had was the occasional streetlight and the light mist that had crept in without his notice. Upset beyond words, he yanked his mask off and roughly scrubbed at his face in frustration. He leaned back on his hands and tilted his head back to stare at the sparse dotting of stars sprinkled in the sky above him that were just barely visible through the encroaching fog. The man took a deep breath and closed his eyes, grounding himself by focusing on the sting of the brisk night air on his bare cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In those short moments, he must have succumbed to his exhaustion and fallen asleep, because when he woke up, the sky was filled with the pale colors of the sunrise and he was a cat.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wait.  </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh shit</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Seonghwa thought.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mrrow." he said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>🐈🐈🐈</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was how Seonghwa found himself turned into a little black cat, wandering around the neighborhood in a blind panic. He decided it was a miserable existence to live as a street cat. While the man-turned-cat could admit that he did appreciate the new ability to give himself a quick bath whenever he felt it was necessary, the convenience felt like a mere consolation prize compared to his former existence that included things like restrooms and running water. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>soap</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Seonghwa ended up finding a bath necessary a lot more often than he assumed normal cats did, and the satisfaction of shiny dirt-free fur was muted by his distress each time he realized how long his impromptu baths took. The more he stressed, the more he groomed, until the excess became harmful. Within the first day as a cat, he over-cleaned himself to the point of soreness, he had licked the side of his thigh raw and the skin was irritated and sensitive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat also found himself constantly licking his lips in hunger, but he deeply feared catching fleas, ticks, rabies, or whatever else cats were capable of being infected by and refused to hunt for any food. Not that he expected anything to taste good. There were always too many smells assaulting his senses, and none of them were appealing in the Yeah-I-Could-Go-For-Some-Of-That kind of way. Seonghwa considered sitting outside of restaurants to beg for scraps, but his paranoia cautioned against it by reminding him that he was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>literal cat</span>
  </em>
  <span> now, and that he had no clue what human food wouldn’t accidentally poison him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In his first two days after The Change (as he had been calling it), the new feline frantically searched for the cat that scratched him but found it difficult since no animal of any kind could stand his presence. Seonghwa now believed the stories of animals having an extra sense, as every creature he came across either met him with aggression or fear. Other cats skittered away at the sight of him with angry hisses, and on his second day as a cat one woman's dog broke off its leash to chase after Seonghwa with deep growls and snapping jaws. It wasn’t a little dog either, it was one of those big dogs with a booming bark and a mouth large enough it could fit a cat’s entire head inside. Seonghwa almost lost his tail in the terrifying incident; The dog excitedly pursued him until he finally scaled a tree to escape it, barely twitching his long tail away from its gnashing teeth in time. He suspected he would remain twitchy and anxious around dogs for a while after the experience. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even after the dog was caught and dragged away, Seonghwa was paralyzed with fear. Becoming a cat didn’t rid him of his existing phobias, and with his fear of heights and now tiny body, the tree branch he had settled on felt miles away from the ground. Seonghwa wanted to sob, but he had learned early on that cats didn’t cry with tears, no matter how desperately he ached for the cathartic release. He held his body flat to the branch with claws buried into the bark and wailed mournfully, his cries long and low with all the grief and terror he had experienced in the past two days. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was how San first found him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In hindsight, Seonghwa realized the area they were in was not far from their apartment building, which explained his teammate’s sudden appearance. In the moment, though, Seonghwa was so preoccupied with his predicament that he hadn’t noticed his friend until he heard the familiar voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Aigoo</span>
  </em>
  <span>, poor kitty, why are you crying? Are you stuck?” The baby talk was laced with his satoori, a sound that was unmistakably San. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>San?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seonghwa meowed and peered down at the man standing on the ground beneath the topiary. Even if his dongsaeng hadn’t spoken, even with the face mask and beanie he wore, Seonghwa would have recognized the man by sight alone. You don’t live, and work, and spend every waking moment with someone without imprinting them in your heart. Seonghwa would know San simply by the way the other man held himself and moved. Every step and every reach was marked with the confidence that came from physical control accumulated and polished over many years. Although San could become a firework on stage, explosive and sharp and all-consuming, his every day essence stemmed from a quiet, fluid, strength that came from extensive training in both dance and martial arts. San always reminded Seonghwa of a cat, deceptively lax and seemingly boneless, but truly always coiled in wait, ready to spring. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He probably would have made a better cat than I do.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seonghwa thought sourly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>San tipped his head back to get a better look at the cat on the branch above him. With the younger man standing beneath him, Seonghwa felt a little less high up, and his nerves somewhat settled. He meowed down at his friend again, watching the man’s eyes crinkle up in a smile above his face mask. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poor baby,” San cooed up into the tree. “Can you come down? I don’t know if I’m tall enough to reach you.” He huffed out a laugh as he stood on his tip toes and reached his arms above his head. His fingertips barely brushed the bottom of the branch, but that was enough for Seonghwa. With wobbly legs and claws digging into the bark to keep his hold, he shifted as close to the outstretched hands as he dared. San clicked his tongue and spoke in honeyed tones to coax Seonghwa a little further forward towards his extended fingers. “Come on kitty, you’re so close, I’ll catch you,” San cajoled as he wiggled his fingers just out of reach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa took a deep breath, removed his claws from the tree, and leaped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite his terror, something in his cat body forced him upright midair, so he would at least land on his paws. Seonghwa had no reason to worry, though, as San’s sure hand caught him easily, plucking him out of the free fall. Seonghwa buried his face into the man’s chest and erupted in a rumble of purrs to both calm himself and express his relief. San seemed beside himself with happiness at getting to hold a cat so unexpectedly. He adjusted his hold on Seonghwa to cradle the cat in one arm so the other hand would be free to pet his dark fur. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t seem to have a collar, huh, kitty?” San asked as he tickled under the cat’s chin with playful fingers. Seonghwa felt himself vibrate with the force of his answering purr, and he affectionately licked at San’s wiggling fingers to tease back. San was delighted, dissolving into giggles as he sweetly tapped Seonghwa on the nose with his index finger. “Are you hungry, kitty? I think I have some snacks if you want them,” San’s free hand left Seonghwa’s fur to pat at his pant pockets in search of treats. Seonghwa meowed emphatically; He was finally hungry enough that even cat food seemed appealing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With all the care in the world, San gingerly lowered the cat to the ground before returning his hands to his pockets to pull out their contents. Seonghwa affectionately rubbed up against his dongsaeng’s ankles, twining back and forth between the human’s legs in figure eights, his tail trailing behind to continue caressing San’s ankles as he circled. San, ever the cat person, eventually found some of the treats he usually carried around with him. Seonghwa used to judge the younger man for feeding the stray cats that wandered their neighborhood, but quickly changed his tune after being hand fed his first meal in two days. He pointedly ignored how delicious the cat food was, and if asked later Seonghwa would say he most certainly did not stand up on his back paws to eat the treat more quickly. San squeezed every last bit of food from the bright orange treat packets, and Seonghwa voraciously lapped it up like a man starving. (Which he was. In spirit. Physically, in this moment, he was a cat. But a man cat.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their meeting was cut short when San glanced at his phone. “I’m sorry kitty, I have to go, I have practice. I’ll see you around!” The idol gave Seonghwa one last affectionate scratch to the top of his head before heading off in a rush, sneakers slapping against the ground like a drumbeat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Watching San walk away without him was the hardest thing Seonghwa had ever done. He wanted to follow his friend to the practice room and cling to him, even as a cat, but the responsible part of Seonghwa reminded him that he still had not found the cause of his problem, and his best bet at finding the cat that cursed him was to stay in the area. Still, it hurt terribly to watch his dongsaeng speed off to meet their other teammates where he couldn’t join them. Were any of the kids taking care of themselves? They were pushing themselves so hard lately, and usually Seonghwa was the one encouraging the members to take a break. Now, Hongjoong had the task of caring for everyone alone as both the leader </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>oldest while Seonghwa was away. Thinking about it made him feel hollow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he was still a human, Seonghwa knew he would have tears tracking down his cheeks, but he wasn’t a human anymore; He was a cat. Unable to cry, the black cat slunk into a nearby bush and curled up into a tight ball, tucking his nose into his flank. He stayed underneath the foliage until sunset. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>🐈🐈🐈</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the fourth day of being a cat, Seonghwa and San met again. Seonghwa had gotten lost that day—it becomes startlingly easy to lose track of your location when you are suddenly tiny and seeing the world from a different angle—and had taken hours to orient himself and trace his steps back home. Well, as close to home as he could get while stuck in the form of a street cat. Seonghwa spotted San first this time, and didn’t hesitate to trot up to the man with a happy meow. San was bursting with excitement at the sight of the black cat, and immediately pulled a packet of treats from his pocket. Seonghwa couldn’t be sure, but he liked to think that San had stocked up on treats just for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>San's hands fiddled with the bright orange treat packet for a bit, squishing the contents back and forth within the tube. That was the first clue that something was bothering the man. Seonghwa knew that San struggled to stay still when agitated, like his body couldn’t contain his intense feelings and needed to be rid of the energy. On some occasions, San had invited Seonghwa to work out together to release the tension that had built up within him. Seonghwa watched San’s jaw now as it clenched and unclenched, making his lips pout out even more than usual. He finally held the food out in one hand for Seonghwa to eat from, while the other one reached out to stroke comfortably down his back. Above him, San sighed and began to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I'm worried about my hyung, kitty. The managers said he had to leave for an emergency, but they won't tell us anything else and he hasn't answered any of our messages. This isn't like him, I'm scared something happened." San confessed quietly, unaware that he was talking to the exact person he worried over. Seonghwa’s stomach rolled with guilt, but he still tried to comfort his dongsaeng. He pressed his head into San's hand and purred so loudly that he felt his chest rumble with the force of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(It had been a shock to Seonghwa the first time he purred—he had spooked himself so badly that he jumped straight up into the air before losing control of his limbs and scrambling around on the ground. A man nearby had laughed at the sight, leaving Seonghwa grumpy about it for the rest of the day.) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>San quietly cooed and scratched his nails behind Seonghwa's ear. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, kitty. This sounds silly, but I had a dream about my hyung before he disappeared. He had some pretty long whiskers just like yours." San carefully stroked the white hairs in silence and thought for a moment before speaking again, "I think it's going to be really cold tonight, make sure you find somewhere warm to sleep, okay?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Terror gripped Seonghwa's heart. He had just spent four days as a cat, and he was no closer to becoming a human again than he was on the first night. The only food he ate since becoming an animal came from San, but the small treat packets were never enough to truly be called a meal. The situation was already daunting, and now Seonghwa had to find a way to keep his fluffy butt from freezing to death. Tail puffed up with fear, the black cat let out a nervous chitter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aww kitty, I'm sorry. Don't worry, I'll come back tomorrow and bring you a blanket or something, I promise." San soothed his hand down Seonghwa’s back, from head to tail, for a few moments before his phone rang. He stood up to reach into his pocket and fish out his phone, answering the call. "Hello? Did they find him?" His expression crumpled at the response. He stared at the ground, downcast. "No, I'm not far from the dorm." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>San tilted his head back to rake his fingers through his hair, Seonghwa-cat seemingly forgotten as he focused on the phone call. Recognizing an opportunity, the cat crept with light steps towards San's backpack that had been left open on the ground and he peered into the largest pocket. The bag was practically empty with only a couple water bottles, a single cup noodle, and the half-empty pouch of cat treats inside. Seonghwa glanced back towards San, who had turned his back as he continued his conversation. Perfect. The black cat slipped into the bag, confident he could blend in with the dark fabric. He wiggled to hide beneath the other items as well as he could, before curling up to lie still at the bottom of the pocket. Above him, he could hear San give his goodbyes and an assurance that he would soon be home before hanging up the call. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Footsteps thumped towards the bag, and Seonghwa heard the man outside sigh. "The kitty left too. I hope it stays warm." That was all the warning Seonghwa had before the backpack was picked up and swung over a shoulder. He felt a dizzying weightlessness, like the moment you were on a ride that suddenly dropped straight down. It would have been exhilarating if not for the half-full water bottle that smacked Seonghwa straight in his tiny cat face. It was an effort, but he kept silent while he pawed at his stinging nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>San must have been in a rush, because they arrived back at the dorm much more quickly than Seonghwa expected. Or he might not have lost track of time, since he had spent the journey trying to quietly get his head out of the treat bag he managed to get tangled in. Even as a cat hidden in the bottom of a backpack, Seonghwa could sense the tense air of the apartment as soon as San stepped in. The bag was jostled for a moment when San leaned forward—probably to remove his shoes—and then quietly padded further into the silent house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hi guys, sorry for being late," San greeted the apartment quietly, his energy subdued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's alright, San," Seonghwa heard Hongjoong reply in a solemn voice. "Management called and I wanted you to know what is happening." There was a moment of stillness before Hongjoong took a shaky breath and said, "No one knows where Seonghwa is. He didn't tell management where he went, and his phone isn't on to answer calls." The leader audibly swallowed and added in a weak voice, "They called his parents, but they haven't heard from him either. He's just missing. Management said they're going to contact the police tomorrow." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The men all sat in silence for a seemingly endless moment before someone quietly started crying. Seonghwa felt his heart shatter when he heard the voice hiccup out a sob. Wooyoung was crying. Sweet, silly Wooyoung who loves to tease his hyung the most, who always hides away his pains to keep his tears from worrying others, was openly sobbing in front of everyone. Seonghwa listened helplessly as gentle comforts were murmured too quietly for him to identify the owner of the voice. His cat ears picked up more sniffles and hitched breaths joining in just beneath the sound of Wooyoung's weeping. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I need to—" San choked on his words. "Alone." He moved, backpack (and Seonghwa) still settled on his shoulders, to rush down the hall to his room. The click of a closed door sounded, and the bag was unceremoniously dropped on the wooden floor. Seonghwa was slightly disgruntled but his internal complaints froze once he heard the sound of great, heaving gasps, the kind of desperate inhales that came when someone couldn’t catch their breath. Or when they were fighting to keep their tears at bay. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No, no, no!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seonghwa flattened his ears to his head. He didn't want to hear this, he didn't want to listen to how much his members hurt because of him. His tail lashed in agitation, drumming into the ramyeon cup nestled into the bag next to him. Outside the bag, San started to cry. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck this</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Seonghwa thought. If he was destined to be stuck as a cat, the least he could do was still be there for his friends. No matter what shape he existed in, Seonghwa was still their hyung. He wriggled in the bag and pawed at the fabric until he found the end of the zipper. Pleased to find the corner open just enough for a paw to fit through, Seonghwa pushed his hand (paw) into the opening and fought his way out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the bedroom light, Seonghwa gazed at San. The man had not yet noticed his stowaway, he sat on the edge of his bed with his palms tightly pressed to his eyes in a weak attempt to stem the flow of his tears. His shining cheeks were a testament of how well that had worked so far. The cat marched up to stand between San's feet and stared up for a moment before letting out a plaintive meow. San startled enough that he momentarily seemed to forget his tears, and his head lifted from his hands so quickly, his neck cracked. Wet eyelashes clumped together around red rimmed eyes that stared back at Seonghwa in wonder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kitty?" His voice was thick from crying as he asked, "What are you doing here?" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I live here too!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Seonghwa trilled back in answer before shifting his weight to his hind legs to spring up onto the human's thighs. He took a moment to knead his paws into his band mate's legs before he settled in on San's lap and tucked his paws under his body to become something quite similar to a round, fuzzy loaf of bread. Tilting his head into San's stomach, the cat let out the loudest purr he could manage, eliciting a tearful laugh from the man, who rested his hand on Seonghwa's rumbling head. After a moment, San himself started to shake, body wracked with silent sobs much more intense than the controlled crying of before. It hurt Seonghwa’s heart, more than anything had in his life. He unfurled himself and stood on his back two legs to rest the pads of his paws gently on San's damp cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger man let out a choked sound and scooped the cat up in a hug, burying his face in Seonghwa's soft flank as he weeped. Seonghwa’s coat was dampened by his dongsaeng's tears, but the cat didn't mind in the slightest. After all, it was the least he could do. Seonghwa was always the person in the group that the younger members could turn to in their time of need, and he filled the position well. They joked around, even calling him Mom sometimes, but he didn’t mind the nickname because he knew it came from a place of love and admiration.  Now, all he could do for San was be a small, fuzzy cat. Seonghwa wished he could cry; He wanted to sob and scream, and just mourn the loss of everything that came with his life as a human—a life he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to return to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're such a good kitty, you remind me of my Byeol," San cradled Seonghwa in his arms and pressed a wet kiss to the crown of his fluffy cat head. It made Seonghwa itch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning, everything exploded into fur. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the flurry of cat hair settled, Seonghwa found himself seated on San's lap, fully human and covered in the stray hairs that continued to float down around the pair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung!” San’s eyes were wide as he stared at the man in his lap. “You’re alive!” San’s hands flew up to his hyung’s face, holding it gently for a moment, before pressing the cheeks together between his palms. “You’re real, right? I’m not dreaming?” His hands wandered to different areas of Seonghwa’s face, fingers stroking down the bridge of his nose, across his eyebrows, back to his cheeks to pinch them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa smacked the grasping hands away. “I’ve been real all this time; I was a cat! You </span>
  <em>
    <span>fed</span>
  </em>
  <span> me!” He shouted back, his voice cracking. He took his turn to run fingertips across his face, hoping there was no longer any fur. The skin was smooth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When our fans called you a cat-boy, I don’t think they wanted you to take it so seriously.” Even as San joked, tears continued to track down his face. They both ignored the wetness on his cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa elected to let the comment slide, otherwise occupied. Still in San’s lap, he yanked up his pant leg to examine his ankle and it, too, was unblemished—there wasn’t even a scar where the cat had scratched him. The curse was broken. Seonghwa inhaled with relief, only to get a mouthful of the cat hair that covered everything in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two stared at each other, frozen, before Seonghwa slowly stuck out his tongue to reveal it covered in fluff. It tasted awful, and he was pretty sure he swallowed some. San snorted, and the brief moment of silence devolved into chaos. The younger man was caught between hysterical laughter and sobs as he watched his friend cough out fur.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hyung, you're going to need </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> many lint rollers!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa pulled San into his arms and laughed himself to tears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>🐈🐈🐈</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning, San called to Seonghwa while the older man sat in the living room, popping his head around the corner from the foyer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Seonghwa hyung, do you want to come feed the street cats with me?" San's mouth curled into a smug grin as he shook a pack of treats at the older member. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seonghwa laughed fondly and stood to join San at the shoe rack. "Only if you promise to not kiss every single cat you meet." He smirked at the pink flush that crawled up San's neck, but the younger man recovered quickly to don a mischievous smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you jealous hyung? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ooh</span>
  </em>
  <span>, you want me to kiss you so bad!" He sing-songed at a spluttering Seonghwa before running out the door and down the apartment hall with bright laughter. Seonghwa took off after him, his breathless giggles bouncing off the walls to harmonize with San's.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>San didn’t kiss any cats that day. He may or may not have kissed a person, though. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! If you would like to see some lovely art based on this fic please check it out:</p><p>https://twitter.com/Prezweeb/status/1357373613968605184?s=20             Kiss and Post-Kiss<br/>https://twitter.com/nyashafu/status/1358116704056795136?s=20             Sanhwa Kitty Cuddle Time<br/>(Links are currently not working on AO3 so for now please just copy and paste the links! thank you!) </p><p>Please go give the artists some love! They did a lovely job and I'm super appreciative.</p><p>If you'd like to chat, I'm on twitter @madic_shop!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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